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support

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verb

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as in to maintain
to pay the living expenses of a young widow supporting a sick mother as well as two small children on a teacher's salary

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in to sustain
to hold up or serve as a foundation for pillars supporting the bridge

Synonyms & Similar Words

4
as in to reinforce
to provide evidence or information for (as a claim or idea) studies that support the claim that red wine drinkers have a reduced risk of coronary disease and cancer

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word support different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of support are advocate, back, champion, and uphold. While all these words mean "to favor actively one that meets opposition," support is least explicit about the nature of the assistance given.

supports waterfront development

When could advocate be used to replace support?

While in some cases nearly identical to support, advocate stresses urging or pleading.

advocated prison reform

Where would back be a reasonable alternative to support?

In some situations, the words back and support are roughly equivalent. However, back suggests supporting by lending assistance to one failing or falling.

refusing to back the call for sanctions

When can champion be used instead of support?

The words champion and support are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, champion suggests publicly defending one unjustly attacked or too weak to advocate his or her own cause.

championed the rights of children

When is it sensible to use uphold instead of support?

While the synonyms uphold and support are close in meaning, uphold implies extended support given to something attacked.

upheld the legitimacy of the military action

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of support
Noun
Mosier says that Doug was greeted with support and cheers on graduation day. Kelli Bender, People.com, 26 May 2025 Netflix will soon end support for older Amazon Fire TV media-streaming devices. Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 26 May 2025
Verb
Along with developing a comprehensive rebuilding master plan and supporting the Palisades’ infrastructure reconstruction, AECOM will help coordinate broader public and private rebuilding efforts. Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2025 In November, voters in Nebraska supported the legalization of medical marijuana, while an attempt to legalize marijuana for recreational use failed to reach the 60 percent threshold in Florida. James Bickerton, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for support
Recent Examples of Synonyms for support
Noun
  • The local fire and rescue services dispatched 55 vehicles and 232 personnel to the scene, while the Ministry of Emergency Management dispatched a working group and rescue reinforcements, the ministry said in a statement.
    Nectar Gan, CNN Money, 27 May 2025
  • The squad saw few reinforcements ahead of the 2025 season, with two players signed on free transfers, one joining through the MLS SuperDraft and another on loan.
    Jeff Rueter, New York Times, 27 May 2025
Noun
  • Time and again, both parties have reinforced systemic inequality through cuts to housing assistance, erosion of the social safety net, and a growing trend to treat housing as a commodity rather than a public good, the book argues.
    Ericka Taylor, NPR, 4 June 2025
  • Trained Individuals People who train to increase their breath-holding abilities, like free divers—people who swim or dive beneath the water’s surface to a considerable depth and without assistance from a breathing device–have reportedly been able to hold their breath for three minutes or longer.
    Patty Weasler, Verywell Health, 4 June 2025
Verb
  • Experts say that lessons learned from attempts to preserve more challenging, international historical sites on Earth shows there's a critical need to advocate for global cooperation and policy frameworks now — before irreversible damage occurs.
    Leonard David, Space.com, 29 May 2025
  • In the following decades, numerous labor priests, such as John A. Ryan, George G. Higgins, Philip A. Carey, Joseph F. Donnelly, and Charles Owen Rice, led the way in advocating for workers.
    Time, Time, 29 May 2025
Verb
  • Prosecutors said the defendants had marketed gaming operations in the two states and helped internet cafes set and maintain terminals that operated the games, which could be played for credits.
    Ethan Wolin, Sacbee.com, 4 June 2025
  • Recent polling suggests Trump maintains an unexpectedly strong foothold in the Garden State.
    Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025
Verb
  • Foundations and individuals that once focused solely on infrastructure or scholarship are now looking to sustain the principles that make education possible: academic freedom, equal access, and legal independence.
    Michelle Mbekeani, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
  • The Waterbury Police Department responded to a report of a fight involving a group of men in the road in the 600 block of South Main Street shortly after 9 p.m. Two male victims sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were transported to a local hospital.
    Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 1 June 2025
Verb
  • The company’s shares have risen more than 7% this week as Meta’s deal to buy nuclear power from Constellation Energy has reinforced the view that demand is increasing as the tech sector hunts for electricity for its data centers.
    Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 6 June 2025
  • As the fireline is constructed, inspected or reinforced, mappers record those details to adjust the containment percentage.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 6 June 2025
Verb
  • But as cloud spend goes up, the need to justify cost efforts and demonstrate cost avoidance to execs will increase.
    Adrian Bridgwater, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
  • Nintendo is pointing to these changes to justify the console’s higher price, which is significantly above the $300 original.
    Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 5 June 2025
Verb
  • Who verified the authenticity of such serious accusations?
    Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 May 2025
  • In the Notify field, verify that your email address is correct.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 30 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Support.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/support. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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